In a bad twist of fate, PS5 scalpers have more inventory than stores

Scalpers are coming together to sell their PS5s in a high-price marketplace, and they actually have more inventory that retailers.

The PS5 is sold out everywhere. Even if a store gets more inventory online or on the shelves, the consoles get snapped up almost immediately. It's a story immemorial that comes with any console launch (especially Nintendo systems), but the stakes are even higher now that everyone wants to stay at home because of COVID-19.

With scarcity comes big markups from scalpers. It's unavoidable especially with something as hot as a PS5. Everyone wants one, but who actually gets one comes down to luck and money. One UK group, CrepChiefNotify, has amassed roughly 3,500 PS5 consoles to resell to consumers.

The group is actually run on Discord and has thousands of members--but you have to pay to get in. It's like a club that gets first access to products because they know where--and when--to buy them. It's part of the reason the PS5 is so scarce; these groups know how to game a digital system responsible for shipping millions of products. The average Joe simply doesn't have that kind of knowledge.

Sony has promised that more PlayStation 5 stock will be replenished soon, and they've also confirmed the console is the best-selling PlayStation of all time. This is good news for Sony, but for consumers who want to play Miles Morales or push 4K 60FPS in games like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, it's just a tease.